More Americans feel US avoided terror attacks by a stroke of luck
By ANISaturday, May 22, 2010
NEW YORK - The American voters’ faith in their government’s ability to avert terror attacks has diminished with many considering US prevention of terror attacks a stroke of luck rather than effectual government action.
The poll conducted for Fox News by Opinion Dynamics Corp revealed that while 33 percent of voters think the United States has been effective in preventing terrorist attacks, 49 percent attributed it to sheer chance.
Today, 46 percent think the government is doing everything it can to prevent terrorist activity, down from 67 percent who thought so in 2003, New York Post reports.
About half of voters (49 percent) think the government could do more, nearly twice the number who felt that way in 2003 (27 percent).
There was good news for the Homeland Security Department as voters do not blame them for the perceived ineffectiveness, between 54 percent to 36 percent, more voters approve than disapprove of the job homeland security officials are doing to protect the country.
And by an 18 percentage point margin, voters are more likely to say the United States and its allies are winning the war on terrorism (49 percent) than to say the terrorists are winning (31 percent). About one in 10 says “neither.”
Just over half of American voters (52 percent) approve of the Obama administration’s handling of the attempted bombing of Times Square, while 18 percent disapprove and 30 percent are unsure.
On the contentious issue of entitlement of terrorists to Miranda Rights, a majority still believe in allowing the suspect these constitutionally enshrined rights.
51 percent say they should be read their rights just like all other suspects, while 43 percent say they should be treated differently.
On the subject of the Obama administration’s avoidance of using hazy umbrella terms like”radical Islam” or “Islamic terrorism” opinion splits evenly.
46 percent felt this is the right thing to do so as not to offend a specific religious ideology while 45 percent feel that this is the wrong thing to do because it refuses to identify clearly the nature of the terrorist threat. (ANI)
